3 Things They Don’t Tell You At School About Growing Older

It would be fair to say that one of the biggest criticisms of the schooling system over recent years is that children don’t learn huge amounts about everyday life activities.

Sure, they might be able to master Pythagoras theory, and learn half the German dictionary in the process, but when it comes to those skills which are required on a day-to-day basis things suddenly take a turn for the worse.

One such thing is just what actually happens when you get older. Naturally, this isn’t about how many grey hairs are popping up, but more on the different stages of life that a lot of people don’t tend to think about.

Following on from the above, here are three things that they certainly don’t teach you in schools – but you most definitely need to be prepared for as your adulthood years progress.

When one expense stops – another starts again

This is perhaps the most shocking parts of growing older.

After we leave school, and perhaps university, one of the big ambitions is to purchase a house. As umpteen press sources keep reminding us, the deposit-factor here is pretty problematic. In other words, it can take years to save up the appropriate amount – even if there are a couple of you.

Once you reach that milestone, don’t think that your feet can be thrown on the table. It’s at this point where things go the opposite way. For some, there might be a rest for a few years, but as soon as families arrive it’s a different matter. One recent study found that the cost of raising children is in excess of £230,000. Not only this, but once they start to grow up (and you think the day-to-day costs are dwindling), it’s time to revert back to step one where you will most likely be helping out with their deposit. And then there’s the grandchildren…

You even have to plan when you’re not here

Something that most of us definitely don’t think about, is the costs of your own funeral. It’s something of a morbid subject, but considering the fact that families can be left with a bill worth thousands means that it’s something that a lot of people are considering.

Pre-paid funeral plans are on the rise, for the simple reason that this means that you pay “today’s” rate, even if you live for several decades.

Again, it’s something which is rarely contemplated in youth, but something which simply has to be taken into account later in life.

There might be a day where you need extra help

In a similar vein to the previous topic, this is something that most of us will choose not to think about until the time comes. We’re now referring to elderly care and again, this isn’t a small cost by any means – with fees running into the thousands, and more. And debilitating health issues aren’t reserved for the elderly. Catastrophic illness or injury can occur at any age.

It’s also another cost which we’re never educated to think about. Again, it might be quite morbid to think about such topics – but the general advice should be to expect the unexpected, rather than some of the not-so-everyday factors that tend to be drilled in from a young age.